In no time, Yun Qinghuan caught a strong aroma of roasted sweet potatoes before Liu Yuzhi arrived. Unable to sit still, Yun Qinghuan quickly stood up and went over. “Mom, let me get it.”
Liu Yuzhi evaded her hand. “Your skin is tender; don’t burn yourself.”
Placed on the stove, the roasted sweet potatoes had accumulated some ash. Liu Yuzhi put them on the table, took a clean towel, wiped off much of the ash, and then handed them to Yun Qinghuan. “It’s a bit hot; eat slowly.”
Apparently, both roasted sweet potatoes were for her. Liu Yuzhi also brought two boiled eggs, giving one to her and the other to An’an.
“Eat these eggs with An’an to nourish your bodies.”
In other words, all the remaining good things were left for her and the child. Liu Yuzhi herself only nibbled on a steamed bun, not sparing much for the vegetables. The porridge in the bowl was clear, with hardly any rice visible. Fortunately, it was pumpkin porridge, with plenty of pumpkin that prevented it from looking too watery.
Yun Qinghuan felt a warmth in her heart. Despite challenging circumstances, she was doing her best to provide the best for her.
She directly split the two roasted sweet potatoes into four portions, one for each person. “Mom, I can’t eat so much. Let’s all share a bit.”
Offering it to Liu Yuzhi, who initially refused, Yun Qinghuan insisted, “I won’t eat much, and we all need to share.”
Reluctantly, Liu Yuzhi accepted. Taking a bite, she found the roasted sweet potato oozing sweet juice. “It’s really sweet.”
Yun Qinghuan smiled and handed half of the roasted sweet potato to the eagerly looking An’an. She then gave the other half to Bai Naihan.
Bai Naihan glanced at her, hesitated, and didn’t take it. “I don’t like these.”
“How could you not like them? They’re delicious. Go on, take it.”
Liu Yuzhi patted her son on the back, and he reluctantly accepted it. “Thanks, sister-in-law.”
For the eggs, Yun Qinghuan didn’t eat them alone either. She peeled one and split it in half. Taking advantage of Liu Yuzhi not paying attention, she stuffed the other half into her mouth. “Mom, is it tasty?”
She asked with a charming smile. Her eyes, crescent-shaped, were exceptionally beautiful.
Eating the egg, Liu Yuzhi said, “Why are you giving me this? Your health isn’t good. You need to take care of yourself. I’m perfectly fine and don’t need to eat eggs.”
If it weren’t for the fact that the egg was already in her mouth, Yun Qinghuan would have suspected that Liu Yuzhi wanted to return it.
“Mom, I know you care about me, but from now on, our family won’t have any special treatment. We’ll all eat the same things. You should eat what I eat.” Yun Qinghuan looked at her seriously.
Since her mother-in-law was kind to her, she didn’t mind reciprocating the kindness. Human relationships were mutual. While Liu Yuzhi’s favoritism was something she accepted, Yun Qinghuan also wanted to be good to her.
In the original story, Liu Yuzhi passed away early, probably due to not eating properly every day, and the consecutive deaths of her eldest son and daughter-in-law dealt her a severe blow. She truly treated the original owner like her own daughter.
Liu Yuzhi’s eyes were a bit red. “Alright, alright.”
She responded several times in a row.
In her entire life, she only had two sons and no daughter, so she treated Yun Qinghuan like her own daughter. Moreover, this daughter-in-law was indeed gentle and lovable, which made people feel tender.
Initially, her kindness towards Yun Qinghuan was a hope that she wouldn’t despise her deaf and mute elder son and would settle down to live a good life with him. However, emotions are built through interactions, and her relationship with Yun Qinghuan improved over time.
Suddenly, she understood why people say that having a daughter in this lifetime is a must. Both her sons were filial, but none were as considerate as Qinghuan.
Yun Qinghuan knew that Liu Yuzhi might just be saying it, and she probably wouldn’t eat the good food herself. She thought about being firm a few more times in the future, and once her mother-in-law got used to it, things would be better.
On the side, Bai Jin’an watched as his mother shared the egg with his grandmother. He looked down at the egg he had just peeled, took a bite, and hesitated a bit.
However, he then looked at his uncle who didn’t have an egg to eat. His uncle had been playing with him for the past few days, even helping him drive away the kids who bullied him in the village. His uncle was nice to him, so he couldn’t let him go without an egg.
Mom also said that everyone should eat the same things.
Thinking in this direction, Bai Jin’an lowered his head and earnestly divided the egg. He even made sure the sizes were the same.
It was amusing; he actually divided the egg from the part he had bitten. Both egg halves had his tooth marks.
Then, he solemnly handed one egg half to Bai Naihan. “Uncle, this is for you to eat.”
Bai Naihan saw the tooth marks on the egg in his hands, and because he was young, he bit into the egg, leaving shiny saliva on it. He couldn’t help but twitch his mouth at the sight.
He wasn’t always so particular.
When on a mission, he could endure dirt and exhaustion without a word. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have risen several ranks in just seven or eight years; those were all exchanged with his life.
So, when his mother directly gave him the bitten steamed bun earlier, he didn’t even blink an eye.
But sometimes he was quite particular, relatively clean. For instance, at this moment, seeing the clear saliva hanging on the egg handed over by the little guy, he wasn’t too eager to accept.
“An An, Uncle won’t eat, you eat it. This way, you’ll grow up quickly.”
His entire demeanor radiated refusal.
Bai Jin’an hesitated when he heard about growing taller. He wanted to grow up quickly so that he could protect himself and his mom from bad people. Every time his grandmother told him to grow up and protect his mom well.
But thinking about what his mom just said, that everyone should eat the same thing, his momentary wavering disappeared instantly. He insisted on giving it to Bai Naihan, his eyes still bright, expressing anticipation, “Uncle, eat it. An An can grow taller slowly.”
Yun Qinghuan, eating an egg on the side, couldn’t help but suppress a smile, finding it delightful.
With sharp eyes, she naturally noticed the saliva on the egg this time. She was curious if Bai Naihan would, in fact, accept it without being particular.
There was a bit of schadenfreude.
However, her heart softened. She thought Bai Jin’an was indeed not a bad kid; he immediately followed her instructions. So, there was still room for improvement.
On the side, Liu Yuzhi also laughed. She knew her son had a bit of cleanliness obsession. If the saliva was invisible, it would be fine, but seeing it would make him unwilling to eat.
Still, she enjoyed watching the excitement. “Naihan, look how considerate An An is. He knows how to be compassionate. Hurry up and eat.”
Bai Naihan was sensitive to emotions and naturally sensed the mood of the two people beside him. He smiled helplessly but persisted, “An An, Uncle won’t eat today, okay? Uncle is really full. Next time, you can give Uncle, and Uncle will definitely eat.”
Bai Jin’an’s bright eyes instantly dimmed. “Uncle, do you dislike me?” he asked, his tone carrying a hint of sadness.
“What?” The man was momentarily stunned, not reacting for a moment. He felt a bit guilty. Could this kid have figured out that he disliked the saliva on it?
∞
Translator Note
Next release
– Dec. 25 (3am GMT + 1)
(There’ll be extra chapters for Christmas, stay tuned!)
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- “A voice is crying out: ‘Clear the Lord’s way in the desert! Make a level highway in the wilderness for our God!’”
— Isaiah 40:3
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